GEYSERS

The High Performance Networks Group (HPNG) at the University of Essex specializes in the application of advanced technologies to future communication network infrastructures together with the study of control, node architectures, and technologies best suited for future requirements. The Laboratory is extremely well equipped with transmission capabilities of 160 Gbit/s and switching testbed for circuit, packet and burst switching. The Laboratory also has four full photonic switching nodes and 3 Carrier Grade Ethernet nodes, enabling a full captive network with photonic and electronic switching layers together with control software. Led by Prof. Simeonidou a successful bid was made to JISC for a dark fibre network connecting Essex, Cambridge, London and Southampton to allow advanced networking experiments to be undertaken between these centres. This fibre network also supports connective with Europe and North America. The University has recently approved an investment of more than €2m to extend this activity with a new High Performance Networked Media Laboratory (HPNML) which operates as an interdisciplinary laboratory focused in research & development for efficient deployments of Ultra-High Definition Multimedia Applications over Photonic Networks. FNRG is committed to a high standard by extensively publishing in selected highly-ranked journals and conferences and contributing to standardisation activities.

Relevant expertise / know-how
The University of Essex relevant expertise and know-how includes:
1 - Optical Transport Networks technologies (OBS, OPS, OCS, multi-granular and high speed systems and networks)
2 - Grid/Cloud Networking (Optical grids, Integrated control and management of IT and network resources, consumer Grids, cloud computing)
3 - Network and Service Management (architectural extensions, virtualization technologies, service oriented and application aware networking)
4 - Testbed Integration, functionality test and performance evaluation of network control protocols and management systems.

Role in the project
The Photonic Network Group in University of Essex plans to use its Multi granular and hybrid optical network testbed and capabilities to evaluate out come of GEYSERS project on WP5. Essex will lead the GEYSERS architecture definition Work Package (WP2) and will further contribute to: WP2, on overall architecture design, in particular its interface specification and design, logical layer design and AAA. WP3: on GEYSERS Logical Layer and its interface to control plane. WP4: on Control Plane (CP) and Application Signalling Framework. WP5: Software and Hardware system Integration, overall system validation. WP6: dissemination of the project result through publications, workshops and demo activities.

Involved people
Prof. Dimitra Simeonidou
Dr. Reza Nejabati
Dr. Kun Yang
Mr. Eduard Escalona